There is a light at the end of the tunnel for more Caribbean students wishing to realise their dreams of a university education.

This is due to the relentless generosity of the attendees who continue to support the annual University of the West Indies (UWI) Toronto Black-Tie Benefit affair.

Earlier this month, organisers staged another successful gala at the swanky Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto.

The event, now in its eighth year and sponsored by Scotiabank since the inaugural event in 2010, is the largest fundraiser for the UWI in Canada, and this year raised $J45 million.

Scholarship recipient Jezeel Martin, now in his final year at the Norman Manley Law School, expressed gratitude on behalf of his fellow scholarship recipients, noting that education was the tool he used to overcome adversity. “This has made a significant impact on the lives of many who now have a brighter future,” he said. He also shared that on completion of his law studies he has a job waiting for him at Myers, Fletcher & Gordon, one of Jamaica’s leading law firms.